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Ganymede
Ganymede was covered mostly in water-ice, and had a saltwater ocean buried under its surface. After constructing an artificial atmosphere around Europa and putting solar mirrors within its orbit, its surface melted and it become a deep blue ocean-world. Many artificial islands were set up in the Ganymeden ocean, and millions of forms of aquatic life were brought from Earth to fuel a fishing industry. Ganymede had its own magnetic field, naturally shielding it from solar radiation. Because of this, it was the first of the four Galilean moons to be terraformed. History Ganymede was another moon that, like Europa, was made almost entirely of solid ice on the surface. Ganymede was famously sought after by Earth scientists for the same reasons as Europa- the search for extraterrestrial life. Ganymede was actually thought to have a much higher chance at having sub-surface ocean life as the moon actually had its own natural magnetosphere, protecting it from Jupiter's harsh radiation belt. Ganymede was the first of the Galilean moons to be explored by humans in 2218 AD. Alas, there was no life to be found in the Ganymedean ocean. In 2240 AD, Ganymede was officially settled as part of the Galilean colonization initiative. Being the one moon that was naturally protected from Jupiter's radiation, the colonists settled on a large plot of land in the northern hemisphere and established a large base that would act as a shipyard for the next few decades. The first Ganymedean shipyard began launching ships to the other three moons within the next couple of years, effectively making Ganymede the crest of Jovian Civilization. The original Ganymedean colony quickly began to expand into a large surface city with many subsurface layers that stretched deep into the ocean below. The Ganymedean Ocean Tower officially hit the Tetragonal Ice layer in 2287 AD, becoming one of the largest structures ever built on the surface of a planet or moon at the time. Eventually, multiple subsurface ocean towers made it to the bottom layer of the Ganymedean ocean and began to spread over the seafloor. Hundreds of years later, a massive underwater city covering the entire ocean floor of Ganymede was built. While the other moons developed on their own time and produced goods for the UCP, Ganymede was growing crops to export to them. Ganymede, having more access to solar benefits than the other moons, grew crops in their surface greenhouses, as well as some livestock within larger biodomes that thrived with no mutations. Ganymedean facilities were almost exclusively used to produce food for the people of the other Galilean Moons who worked on the other moons in the mining industry. In 2312 AD, MTI contacted the executives of the Galilean Colonization Initiative and requests permission to experiment with atmosphere generation on Ganymede- the most promising location in Giant Space to construct an Earth-like biome. The Galilean representatives, as well as the Ganymedean leaders agreed to take part in the experiment. Within the decade, MTI built massive experimental ‘Ozone Generators’ at calculated points around the moon, and massive mirrors in orbit to reflect more sunlight onto the surface, warming it. The experiment was a success and as of 2399 AD, Ganymede had an official atmosphere, as deemed by the UCP, and had been heated to a pleasant surface temperature. Throughout the 2400s, MTI scientists from Earth began hoarding countless species of saltwater fauna to Europa as part of the Earth Wildlife Revitalization Effort. The Ganymedeans happily raised these animals and began living oceanside lives in which a massive fishing industry began to grow. After centuries of growing, massive coral reefs coexisted with and protected the underwater Ganymedean cities. Having the most diverse ecosystem of the four moons, Ganymede was the first to begin thinking seriously about independence from the UCP, wishing to keep and maintain their own ecosystem, and having what they believed to be a god-given right to all the moons of Jupiter. After the Tragedy on Mercury in the 2550s, it became abundantly clear that even in the face of crisis the UCP would still prefer to bleed the worlds of Giant Space dry to solve their problems instead of using their own resources. The Ganymedean people were the first to begin rioting against the UCP and refusing to work, and in a fortunate turn, MTI representatives risked their government funding and sided with them. The rest of the Galilean moons revered Ganymede as the crest of Jovian civilization, and trusted them enough to take part in the riots. After the Solar Civil War was over and the Jovians declared independence, Ganymede became the capital of the Kingdom of the Four Galilean Moons. The Galilean King resided on a small island that was crafted from Praxidike, one of Jupiter’s irregular moons. In the early 2600s, many moons and asteroids were cannibalized in order to produce continents for Ganymede, making it perfect for breeding all kinds of new Earth flora and fauna, which MTI was happy to provide. Praxidike lost its status as the Galilean Capital in the early 2900s after the current king decided that the Jovian Kingdom’s Capital should be in an orbital station orbiting Jupiter. Culture Surface Features Fauna and Flora External Links